Ouellette looks ahead as swearing in looms

Select board member will stay on until Spring elections

By Ted Hayes
Posted 12/4/24

Fresh off his win in the polls early last month, incoming 8th Bristol District Representative Steven Ouellette is winding down some of his many board memberships as he prepares to take the Oath of …

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Ouellette looks ahead as swearing in looms

Select board member will stay on until Spring elections

Posted

Fresh off his win in the polls early last month, incoming 8th Bristol District Representative Steven Ouellette is winding down some of his many board memberships as he prepares to take the Oath of Office Wednesday, Jan. 1, at the Massachusetts State House. But he’ll stay on the select board for another five months.

Ouellette, a Democrat, will represent all of Westport and parts of Acushet, Freetown, Fall River and New Bedford as 8th District Rep. As his swearing-in approaches, he is withdrawing from a host of local and regional organizations and boards, including the Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Bike/Walking Path Committee, both of which he chairs, and Westport’s cable advisory board. But he hopes to be able to maintain his membership on the Economic Development Task Force.

As for his service on the select board, Ouellette plans to continue until the Spring town election, at which both his and chairwoman Shana Teas’ seats will be open.

Meanwhile, he said Monday, it’s a busy time for him between orientation and training dates and the swearing in, now less than four weeks away.

Ouellette, who has long championed infrastructure improvement and economic development, said he plans to continue to advocate for Westport on the state level, and said a lot of good can also be done in the other four towns represented under the 8th District, though they are all quite different politically and socially.

As for his support of the greater Route 6 infrastructure project, a $30 million-plus plan that was defeated in the polls and at Town Meeting earlier this year, he said he looks forward to listening to constituents and the select board, and coming up with a path forward that is supported by the town’s residents.

“I’m working toward what the town wants,” he said.

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